Means for conveying metallic articles through electroplating or like apparatus



Jan. 17, 1939.

J. KRONSBEIN MEANS FOR CONVEYING METALLIC ARTICLES THROUGH ELECTROPLATING OR LIKE APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2l

1958 5 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 17, 1939. J. KRONSBEIN MEANS FOR CONVEYING METALLIC ARTICLES THROUGH ELECTROPLATING OR LIKE APPARATUSl 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 21J

J. KRONSBEIN MEANS FOR CONVEYING METALLIC ARTICLES THROUGH Jan. 17, 1939.

ELECTROPLATING OR LIKE APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 2l, 1958 Jan. 17, 1939. 2,144,068

MEANS FOR CONVEYING METALLIC ARTICLES THROUGH ELECTROPLATING OR LIKE APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 m w E s 1 S 2 m n. R hun K d e J u F pag.5.

Jan. 1.7, 1939.

1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ELECTROPLATING OR LIKE APPARATUS www ma ws Patented Jan. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES PATE-NT OFFICE MEANS Fon coNvEYING METALLIC AarlcLEs rnaouon ELnc'rnorLA'rmc oa LIKE APPARATUS John Kronsbein, Birmingham, England, assignor, by mesne assignments, o! one-half to Charles Frederick Neale, Solihull, Warwickshire, England Application January 21, 1938, Serial No. 186,125 In Great Britain February 1, 193i' 2 Claims.

the articles into the vats, traverse them there' through, and to withdraw them therefrom ior successional transfer.

in the electro-plating-apparatus set forth in the specification of my prior Patent No. 2,112,164, there is disclosed a transfer system in which each vat is provided with a carriage on which is mounted a reduction gear, the function of the reduction gear being to lower a bar into which are fitted two magnets or hooks for picking up the carrier bar, which is conveyed through the vats by the master conveyor chains. This provision of a sequence of separate carriages and reduction gears involves the use of a very long shaft running the entire length of the plant, interconnecting the winding gear boxes so that they all travel at the same speed in order to permit the lifting out of a carrier bar from each vat and the transfer of this bar into the next vat. Moreover, the motor which drives this long shaft oscillates backwards and forwards with the carriages.

'The use of this long shaft has been found open to objection, by reason for example of varying contacts and twisted movement, and also by reason of' the considerable corrosion due to the presence of fumes and steam, the moving motor being also objectionable by reason of the necessity for flexible electric leads liable to bending fatigue.

IThe present invention is designed to provide a new or improved type of transfer gear which eliminates the individual carriages and individual r winding gears hereinbefore referred to, whilst 'still retaining the magnets or hooks for the carrier bars, and with this primary object in view the invention is characterized by the provision over the sequence of vats of a duplex carriage system comprising an overcarriage to which the means of suspension are attached, and an undercarriage in roller contact with the suspension means, said overcarriage and undercarriage being adapted for selective traversing movements both in relation to each other and in unison over the vats, and the arrangement being such that when the two carriages are traversed in relation to each other the carrier bars are raised or lowered in relation to the vats, and that when the two carriages are traversed in unison the carrier bars are traversed from one vat to another.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily vcarried into practice, reference may be had to the appended explanatory drawings, in which:-

Figs. 1 and 1a illustrate in side elevation an automatic plating plant constructed in accord-l ance with the invention, Fig. 1 showing the parts at the feed end and Fig. la the parts at the drive end.

Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1a.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. 1a, but with the motor and the conveyor drive shaft omitted to show the duplex carriage system and its associated lifting, traversing, and lowering gear.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrat-` ing the various positions of the overcarriage and undercarriage during the lifting, traversing, and lowering movements of the duplex carriage system.

In carrying the invention into effect, as applied by way of example to an electro-plating plant of the general type described in our aforesaid prior specification, there is provided over the sequence of vats i, 2, 3, l, 5,-6, l, d, 9, a duplex carriage system consisting primarily of an overoarriage it and an undercarriage ii operating respectively on relatively superposed pairs of tracks i2 and iii extending longitudinally of the superstructure it of the plant,.these two car# riages i0 and ii being movable both in relation to each other and in relation to the plant. The articles W to be treated are suspended from trans verse carrier bars iii which are normally supported by longitudinal rails i5 so as to be slidably traversed thereon in the usual manner by pushers iii upstanding from the master conveyor chains i5. These chains i5 are actuated from a motor i6 and main gear box il at the drive end of the plant, and a shaft i8 projects out of this main gear box il at right angles to the conveyor chain drive shaft i9, this shaft i8 being coupled by a chain 20 to a relatively short overhead longitudinal shaft 2i which passes in succession through an epicyclic gear box 22, a first reducing gear box 23, a magnetic clutch 24, and a second reducing gear box 25, the output shafts 26 and 21 of these first and second reducing gear boxes 23 and 25 being fitted with pinions 28 and 29 engageable into racks and 3| fixed to the overcarriage Hl and undercarriage Ii respectively.

It will be observed that if the first reducing gear box 23 be rotated by itself, then its trans.

mitting pinion 28 will cause the overcarriage l0 to move on its respective tracks I2, and that if the second reducing gear box 25 be rotated by itself a similar operation will occur with regard to the undercarriage II, whilst if both the reducing gear boxes 23 and 25 be rotated at the same time (the gear boxes. pinions, and racks being identical in each case) the overcarriage I0 and undercarriage I I will move simultaneously and synchronously. y

From the overcarriage I0 is suspended as at 32 a pair of balata belts or chains 33 which pass over pulleys 34 fixed to the undercarriage II. If therefore a bar 35 carrying a pair of magnets 36 is attached to the lower extremities of the balata belts or chains 33 and the first reduclng gear box 23 is rotated by itself, then as shown in Fig. 4 the overcarriage II! will move longitudinally from a first position 3l over one vat to a second position 38 over an adjacent vat, and this will cause the magnets 36 and carrier bars 43 to rise as the belts or chainsI 33 are pulled over the pulleys 34 on the undercarriage. If the first and second reducing gear boxes 23 and 25 are then rotated simultaneously, the overcarriage I0 and undercarriage i! will move simultaneously into third positions 39, a traverse of the magnet or lifting arrangement over the next adjacent vat being thereby effected. If then the first reducing gear box 23 be rotated in a reverse direction, with the second reducing gear box 25 stationary, this will cause the overcarriage l@ to move back into the second position 38, with the result that the magnets35 and carrier bars @t3 are lowered.

This sequence of operations is achievedby means of a master unit switch associated with the main gear box I'I, and by suitable design of the epicyclic gear box 22, which is tted with two electro-magnetic brakes Iii and 42. If

neither of these brakes di and 42 be applied, then the epicyclic gear will not transmit any power to the rst reducing gear box 23, as the two brake drums will revolve idle in opposite directions. If the first brake il is applied then the first reducing gear box 23 is rotated independently of the second reducing gear box 25, since the latter is isolated by the magnetic clutch 2d. The application of the iirst brake 4I is timed to enable the overcarriage i@ to move into the second position 38, and thereupon the magnetic clutch. 2li is applied so that the rst and second reducing gear boxes 23 and 25 rotate synchronously to move the two carriages lil and Ill into the third positions 39. The magnetic clutch 2d and the rst brake M are then released and the rst reducing gear box 23 reversed by application of the second brake 42, causing the overcarriage I0 to move back again into the second position 38, the second brake 42 being then released again so that the work is dropped into the next adjacent vat. The two carriages I3 and .Il may now be returned to the first position 3i by applying the second brake 42 and the magnetic clutch 24, and the cycle then repeats itself in suitable synchronism with the master conveyor chains I5.

It will be observed that the duplex carriage system eliminates moving motors, and necessitates only two gear boxes for any number of processes of transfer, Whereas withthe system according to our prior specification hereinbefore referred to, the number of transfers determined the number of gear boxes required. In consequence the present duplex carriage system ensures a substantial reduction in cost, in maintenance, and in wear and tear, as well as rendering the process as simple as possible.

I claim:

1. A transfer mechanism for use in an electroplating apparatus of the type in which the articles to be treated are suspended from carrier bars moved by a conveyor system over a sequence of vats and periodically elevated and depressed to bring the articles into the vats, traverse them therethrough, and withdraw them therefrom for successional transfer, which transfer mechanism is characterized by the provision over the sequence of vats of a duplex carriage system comprising an overcarriage to which the means of suspension are attached, and an undercarriage in roller contact with the suspension means, said overcarriage and undercarriage being adapted for selective traversing movements both in relation to each other and in unison over the vats, and thearrangement being such that when the two carriages are traversed in relation to each other the carrier bars are raised or lowered in relation to the vats, and that when the two carriages are traversed in unison the raised carrier bars are traversed from one vat to another.

2. An electro-plating apparatus which comprises, in combination, a sequence of vats, a superstructure extending over said vats, conveyor chains mounted on said superstructure, means for driving said conveyor chains so as to be operative over said sequence of vats, carrier bars movable by said conveyor chains to traverse the articles to be treated through said sequence of vats, a duplex carriage system consisting of' an overcarriage and an undercarriage movable over said sequence of vats on relatively superposed tracks supported by said superstructure, means attached to said overcarriage for suspension support of said carrier bars, rollers on said undercarriage in bearing contact with said suspension means, and selectively operable gear devices associated with said driving means and supported by said superstructure for traversing said overcarriage and undercarriage in relation to each other so as to raise and lower said carrier bars in relation to the vats, and for traversing said overcarriage and undercarriage in unison so as to traverse the raised carrier bars from one vat to another.

JOHN KRONSBEIN. 

